International Journal of Engineering and Technical Research (IJETR)

ISSN: 2321-0869 (O) 2454-4698 (P), Volume-3, Issue-10, October 2015

Nanolevel surface treatment applied to veneered

products
Edgars Kirilovs, Laura Kruklite, Silvija Kukle

increased moisture content.

AbstractNew researches or discoveries are regularly
published in the field of nanotechnologies, revealing information A. Birch wood microscopy
about the new materials with unique properties and methods to Birch (Betula pendula) veneer is the finest use of timber,
achieve this. Wood veneer is often used in different real estate because it is real timber.
segments for interior decoration applications. It's ideal for The benefits of its use are:
residential projects as well as in hotel projects and offices; the the natural variations of timber means each project is
result is a unique look and feel for the interior. Even more,
individual as choice from the vast array of species, colors and
veneer is processed to create also a variety of products such as
veneer parquet, flexible veneer sheets, wood veneer boards, textures are available; even from the same species veneers
wood veneer wallpaper, etc. A disadvantage can be mentioned, differ in grain, color, texture and markings;
veneered surfaces could to a greater or lesser degree change wood veneer is pleasant and friendly to the touch;
color, particular upon exposure to natural and artificial light. veneered surfaces add prestige and style to the furniture
The level of color change depends on such factors as the species and joinery;
chosen, the coating type used and intensity and period of the veneer can be molded to fit any shape and adhered to a
exposure to light. In addition, conventional finishes have a different substrates to give all the versatility of solid timber;
tendency to yellow with age that can have negative effects on the various types of substrates can be used for the production of
original color of the selected timber. To minimize previously
mentioned effects new finishes have to be developed. Invisible
veneered panels and furniture, such as solid timber, particle
nanolevel coating based on the sol-gel process for veneer finish is boards, medium density fiber boards, plywood, block boards,
offered in this paper. The solgel technique is an industrial and hardboards;
process for colloidal nanoparticles generation from liquid phase, veneer is sustainable use of forest resources and highly
where the deeper development has been performed in last years efficient use of timber as from one cubic meter of log could
for the production of advanced coatings. It is well adapted for produce around 1000 square meters of veneer; [1]
oxide nanoparticles and composites synthesis. The main
advantages of sol-gel techniques are comparable low processing
temperatures offering unique opportunities for access to the
organic and inorganic materials. In the paper there will be
discussed the sol synthesis and application technology as well
protective properties of coating. Leaf trees wood has a lot of
good economic, technological, physical and mechanical
properties, but under influences of external environment (rain,
sun, wind, the rapid change in temperature) it fails to maintain
and preserve all complex of properties , so it is essential to
develop nano-coatings, capable natural material make durable
and sustainable usage in outdoor spaces with increased moisture
content.

Index Terms Wood veneer, advanced coatings, wood
coatings, sol-gel technique.
I. INTRODUCTION
The wood has a lot of good economic, technological,
physical and mechanical properties. However, due to the
influence of environment- rain, sun, wind, temperature and
humidity changes- the wood fails to keep and maintain this
complex of all the properties. It is very important to develop
such nano-coatings, which could make the wood more
durable and sustainable in outdoor and indoor conditions with
Edgars Kirilovs, Institute of Design Technology, Faculty of Material
Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical university, Latvia, Riga,
Phone: + 371 67089816.
Silvija Kukle Institute of Design Technology, Faculty of Material
Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical university, Latvia, Riga,
Phone: + 371 67089816.
Laura Kruklite, Institute of Design Technology, Faculty of Material
Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical university, Latvia, Riga,
Phone: + 371 67089816.
Fig. 1. Anatomical features of birch [2]
The main sources of veneers are hardwoods with the more
complicated anatomy compared to softwoods and as
consequence more complicated wood structure.
Veneer quality is a factor in construction and industrial
plywood based on visually observable characteristics. Knots,
decay, splits, insect holes, surface roughness, number of
surface repairs, and other defects are considered. Veneer
species and characteristics are also a major factor in
categorization of hardwood and decorative plywood.
However, when observing the microstructure of a
hardwood sample in practice it is normally easy to see the
vessels, fibres and parenchyma cells, since the tracheids are
very few in number.
The hardwood axial system is composed of vessel elements
in various sizes and arrangements, and of axial parenchyma in
various patterns and abundance (Fig. 1). As in softwoods, rays
comprise the radial system and are composed of ray
parenchyma cells, but hardwoods show greater variety in cell

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 Nanolevel surface treatment applied to veneered products
sizes and shapes. Vessel elements are stacked one on top of
the other to form vessels. On the transverse section, vessels
appear as large openings and are often referred to as pores
(Fig. 1). Vessel diameters may be small (<30 m) or quite
large (>300 m), but typically range from 50 to 200 m. They
are much shorter than tracheids and range from 100 to
1,200 m [2].
If all the vessels are the same size and more or less scattered
throughout the growth ring, the wood is diffuse- porous. If the
early wood vessels are much larger than the latewood vessels,
the wood is ring-porous. Diffuse-porous species woods
sample and birch have two main types of growth rings and one
intermediate form. In diffuse-porous woods, vessels either do
not markedly differ in size and distribution from the early
wood to the latewood, or the change in size and distribution is
gradual and no clear distinction between early wood and
latewood can be found (Fig. 1). Vessels can also be arranged
in a tangential or oblique arrangement in a radial arrangement,
in clusters, or in many combinations of these types. In
addition, individual vessels may occur alone (solitary
arrangement) or in pairs (Fig. 1), or radial multiples of up to
five or more vessels in a row. Where vessel elements come in
contact with each other tangentially, intervessel or
intervascular bordered pits ranging in size from 2 to >16 m
in height are formed (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Exposed channel of hardwood showing pit [3]
Fig. 3. Hardwood microstructure [3]
Fibres in hardwoods function almost exclusively as
mechanical supporting cells. They are 0.2 to 1.2 mm in length,
usually two to ten times longer than vessel elements. The
thickness of the fibre cell wall is the major factor governing
density and mechanical strength of hardwood. Species with
thin-walled fibres have low density and strength; species with
thick-walled fibres have high density and strength. Pits
between fibres are generally inconspicuous and may be
simple or bordered.
Hardwoods have a wide variety of axial parenchyma
patterns. Paratracheal parenchyma is associated with the
vessels, and further divided into vasicentric (surrounding the
vessels), aliform (surrounding the vessel and with wing-like
extensions), and confluent (several connecting patches of
170
paratracheal parenchyma sometimes forming a band).
Apotracheal parenchyma is not associated with the vessels
and is divided into diffuse (scattered), diffuse-in-aggregate
short bands and banded, whether at the beginning or end of
the growth ring or within a growth ring. Each specie has a
particular pattern of axial parenchyma, which is more or less
consistent from specimen to specimen, and these cell patterns
are important in wood identification. The rays in hardwoods
are structurally more diverse than those found in softwoods.
Most species have rays that are more than one cell wide. In
oak and hard maple, the rays are two-sized, uniseriate and
more than eight cells wide. Such hardwood anatomy specifics
and differences between species lead to a very complicated
and uneven veneer surface microstructure (Fig. 3). Small
holes are typically created when the wood cells shrink during
the drying process at the mill. Cracks can also occur when a
veneer loses too much moisture (or loses moisture too
quickly). When this happens, internal stresses become so
strong that the wood cells shrink, lose elasticity, and then
separate from each other. These types of splits are more
challenging to repair. The success rate for repairing this type
of crack depends on several factors. It is difficult to select the
highest quality logs, because many internal defects such as
gum veins, rot and insect damages are difficult to detect from
the log outside. Probably the most critical aspect of
preparation for finishing is the moisture content of veneered
products. Equilibrium moisture content of veneer are
approximately from 10 to 12 %. High moisture content is
difficult to detect visually so prevention is a key.
B. Birch wood veneer surface modification
One of the different new approaches and possibly one of
the most promising for surface modification of materials is the
sol-gel technology. Probably this technology offer
possibilities to tailor surface properties to a certain extent and
to combine different functionalities in a single material was
one of the most important developments in material sciences
during the last decades. At the same time the application of
sols treatment can be carried out with the techniques
commonly used in finishing processes such as immersion or
sprinkling following by thermal processing.
Colloid solutions of nano sized oxides particles in aqueous
or organic solvents or in their mixtures (nanosols) today
become more and more popular. Due to the high surface area
of the small particles the nanosols are metastable and during
coating process the particles will aggregate as well as
condense, initiated by evaporation of solvent in result of
thermal treatment. Process result in dense three-dimensional
networks leading in coatings which exhibit new functions [4].
In comparison with many other materials such as ceramics
or metals, wood products possess low thermal resistance. The
conditions for the treatment and the sol composition have to
be adapted to the particular demands of material. As chemical
structure of such natural fibres as flax and hemp are close to
the chemical structure of hardwoods, the sol synthesized for
cotton and lignocellulosic fiber textiles surface modification
are used. Obtained by this sol modified textile surfaces had
presented excellent protection from ultraviolet radiation,
antimicrobial activity and water repellency. All mentioned
properties are important to improve protection of veneered
surfaces in outdoor and indoor applications [5].
Some stains, notably dye stains can fade if subjected to
long term ultra violet light; if wooden surface is not protected,
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 International Journal of Engineering and Technical Research (IJETR)
ISSN: 2321-0869 (O) 2454-4698 (P), Volume-3, Issue-10, October 2015
destruction of lignin could be caused by UV radiation. types of modified wood samples, i.e. 1) modified with silica
Under direct sunlight fading, bleaching or color changes of sol following by two different regimes of thermal
veneered surfaces may occur. Excessive hot sunshine may dry post-treatment 120 oC and 140 oC; 2) modified with silica sol
the veneer surface more quickly than substrate thereby with Zn diacetate precursor following by thermal
causing appearance of small surface checks parallel to the post-treatment at 120 oC and 140 oC.
grain and possible damage of the coating. Surface treated with Fig. 4 illustrates an equilibrium state of a drop of liquid
the sol will become more protected due to the restricted water surrounded by a gas at a solid surface. This is the fundamental
vapor transmittance. basis for the Youngs equation (1) and is expressed as:
It is well known that all chemical substances and alcohols
should be removed immediately from all veneered surfaces to LG cos = SG SL (1)
avoid their damages. Water repellency property doesnt allow
liquid to penetrate into surface and make it easy-to-clean. where is the liquid-solid-air contact angle, LG and SG
Antimicrobial properties are necessary in a wide range of are the surface free energy of the liquid (L) and the solid (S),
uses such as furniture of public and hospital premises, respectively, exposed to a gas (G), and SL is the solid-liquid
kitchen, dining room and bathroom furniture, outdoor interfacial free energy [5].
constructions and furniture etc.

II. MATERIALS AND METHODS

To make a modification of the veneer with the sol-gel

coating, the preparation of plywood samples must be done.
Birch veneer sheet were sanded on both sides with 100 grit
and blown with compressed air to release the surface from
dust. Prepared veneer sheets are cut in 50 mm x 50 mm
sample pieces. To degrease the surface veneer samples are
rinsed with diluted (30 ml distilled water to 100 ml acetone) Fig. 4. Equilibrium state of a drop of liquid surrounded by a
acetone (EC no. 200-662-2, manufactured RILAK, Latvian). gas on a solid surface.
Degreased samples are washed in distilled water and dried in
an oven at 90 C. The sample is placed on an adjustable platform and a drop
A. Sol-gel method of distilled water is placed on it (~ 5 ml). The machine
automatically records and photographs measurements and
The veneer samples were modified with silica sols and changes that take place with a drop of the sample surface
silica sol with the Zinc acetate dehydrate as precursor. Sols (Fig. 5). There are taken five measurements of each type of
were synthesized using silica alkooxide tetraetylortosilicate, sample.
ethanol and water added to perform the hydrolysis and
condensation, and hydrofluoric acid used as a catalyst. Zinc
acetate dehydrate was used as the modifier of the sol-gel
system. After the treatments, the samples were dried in an
oven with the following thermal post-treatment, low
temperature drying and thermal post-treatment were
combined [5].
The another simple modification of veneer was applied
veneer samples were soaked in acetic anhydride 80 %
aqueous solution for 1,5 h at room temperature ( 24 oC), then
pressed for 2 min in 50 C and loaded till is completely dry
not to damage.
Fig. 5. Distilled water drops on the veneer sample
B. Adhesion theory and wetting parameters
Several adhesion mechanisms or theories have been III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
proposed and applied in the adhesion science and technology
field [6]. This work involves the wetting (or adsorption) A. Wetting contact angle
theory, which by far is the most applied concept for evaluation Surfaces of samples labeled T are not modified high
of theoretical secondary (non-covalent) bonding, for example wetting angle dispersion are determined by the specific
hydrogen bonding, i.e. interfacial forces relevant mainly for surface structure of wood veneer. Some of the T range
adhesion and gluing technology. Wetting phenomena can be samples surface wetting behavior are similar to the silica sol
defined as macroscopic manifestations of molecular modified samples reaction after a few seconds the average
interactions between liquids and solids in direct contact at the wetting contact angle decreases to 80 and continues to
interface between them [7]. Surface free energy, contact decline linearly to 70 in 10 s (Fig. 6 and Fig. 7). There is a
angles and work of adhesion are some parameters that define large dispersion between the parallel measurements, covering
the wettability of materials. plywood surface properties unevenness.
Four basic types of birch wood veneer specimens with
dimensions of 100x100x0.6 mm and 15x15x0.6 mm were
prepared: reference samples of unmodified wood, and four

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 Nanolevel surface treatment applied to veneered products

wetting contact angle of samples treated with zinc acetate

dehydrate (CAD) integrated in silica sol-gel system (Z) in
comparison with those processed with silica sol (S) system.
Indicators of variants Z4 and Z6 are much better than the
corresponding values of untreated sample contact angle is
reduced to 91o and 95o in 10 seconds angle is reduced to 91o
and 95o (Fig.11). Also variants S3 and S4 have better
indicators than the untreated sample, respectively 89o and 80o.

Fig. 6. Contact angle changes of the non-modified samples

Fig. 7. Water drop shape changes of the non-modofied

samples Fig. 10. Contact angle changes for samples with zinc acetate
dihydrate integrated in Si sol-gel system compared and with
Also, veneer samples of variant E (Fig.8) with prolonged raw sample
soaking 1.5 hours at 24 C acetic anhydride and subsequent
drying at room temperature does not ensure stable damping
obtuse angle, which only initially be close to 80 . Already in
the first few seconds the average value drops below 70 , and
continues to decrease non-linearly till 40 in 10 s interval
(Fig. 8 and Fig.9). There is a large dispersion between the
parallel measurements, covering the surface properties
unevenness of veneer and uneven coating structure formation
Fig. 11. Water drop shape changes of the zinc acetate
in processing and post-processing modes. E variant sample
dihydrate integrated in Si sol-gel system sample surface
test results as a whole allows to conclude that appropriate
treatment conditions and sol solution cannot provide a stable
surface wetting reduction.

Fig. 12. Contact angle changes for samples with Si sol-gel

Fig. 8. Contact angle changes of the acetic anhydride
modified samples
Fig. 9. Water drop shape changes of the acetic anhydride
modified sample surface
system system compared with raw sample
B. Water absorption
The significant lack for wood is water absorption, which
affects its physical and mechanical properties. Previously it
found that modifying veneer samples with sol-gel technology
obtained coatings can reduce the surface wetting. To
determine the water absorption capacity of modified samples
they are immersed in water (at room temperature) to 168
hours. After 168 hours all samples reached equilibrium
values.

In Fig. 10 and Fig. 12 are showed average values of

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 International Journal of Engineering and Technical Research (IJETR)
ISSN: 2321-0869 (O) 2454-4698 (P), Volume-3, Issue-10, October 2015
[3] Shmulsky R., Jones D. Forest Products and Wood Science.
Wiley-Blackwell. 2011, pp 496.
[4] E. Sumo Sakka, Handbook of Sol-Gel Science and Technology:
Processing, Characterization and Applications, Springer, 2004, pp
1980.
[5] S. Vihodceva, Extension of the Range of Textile Modified at
Nano-Level. Latvia : Institute of design technology, Department of
material technology and design, 2014. Doctoral Thesis.
[6] J. Schultz and M. Nardin, Theories and mechanisms of adhesion. In:
Adhesion Promotion Techniques, Technological Applications. Eds.
K.L. Mittal, A. Pizzi, Marcel Dekker Inc. 1999. pp. 126., ISBN
9780824702397
[7] J. C. Berg, Role of Acid-Base Interactions in Wetting and Related
Phenomena. Wettability. Ed. Berg, J.C. Marcel Dekker, 1993. New
York. pp. 75148.

Edgars Kirilovs Dr.sc.ing.(RTU 2013), Lector got

Fig. 13. Water absorption comparison
In Fig. 13 traceable moisture absorption capacity changes
with in Si sol-gel system integrated CAD and with Si sol-gel
system in the first 2 hours. Increasing mass changes occur
after 30 minutes. Very steep is variant Z4 weight increase that
reaches 40 % after 30 minutes, while the mass of Z6 increased
by only 5 % and after 90 min soaking by 10 %. But it is 78%
less than for untreated sample and 76% less than for sample
treated with acetic acid anhydride. The best results with silica
sol-gel system processed samples show samples of variants
S3 and S4, where S4 change mass by 16 % less than S3, but
2.7 times higher than Z6. Overall, the weight changes of
samples treated in Si sol-gel system integrated CAD and Si
sol-gel system are on average 39 % lower than for raw sample
and by 34 % lower than for sample treated with acetic acid.
Doctoral Degree in engeneering sciences in 2012 at the
Riga Technical university after graduating from Master,s
Degree studies in 2007.The main fields of research are
innovative boards use in production of wooden products
and wood product design adjustment to the options of
modern technologies.
Silvija Kukle is a Professor with the Institute of Design Technologies of
RTU. She received the qualification of Engineer
Technologist in 1965. In 1977, she received the degree of
Candidate of Technical Sciences. In 1991, she received the
Doctoral degree of Engineering Science. She obtained the
Dr. habil. sc. ing. degree in 1993 and has been a Professor
since 1994. She is Head of the Department of Technology
and Design..
Laura Kruklite Mg.sc.ing., received a Master
Degree in Technology and Design from the Institute of
Design Tehnology at RTU in 2015.

IV. CONCLUSION
Birch veneer modification with acetic anhydride for
reduction of surface wetting and moisture absorption capacity
was not confirmed in experiments and is not considered
usable.
Birch veneer modification with Si sol-gel integrated CAD
and appropriate technological parameters for 30 minutes
holding of 30 minutes lasting thermal post-treatment at a
temperature of 140 C enables a significant reduction in the
surface wetting and moisture absorption capacity, at the same
time providing a good link with the glazes and the bottom
paint, but reduces adhesion to the glue used in experiment.
Modification with the silica sol-gel with CAD precursor
regarded as a targeted treatment that provides substantial
birch veneer moisture absorption and surface wetting
reduction. In order to ensure the sufficient adhesive strength,
the processing must be carried out by spraying the modifying
sol to the protected surface.
Although the veneer treatment with silica sol is less
effective for surface wetting decrease, moisture absorption
tests show the ability of this treatment to significantly reduce
moisture absorption, especially if the samples are exposed to
the short-term exposure.

REFERENCES
[1] J. MacGregor, Prepearing and applying decorative wood veneers and
inlays to substrates, Forest and wood products research and
development corporation, 2004, pp 80.
[2] Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook -- Wood as an
Engineering Material [authors book] Michael C. Characteristics and
Availability of Commercially Important Woods. Madison: Department
of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 2010.

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